a hundred million miracles....

Miyoshi Umeki, who became the first Asian performer to win an Oscar -- as best supporting actress for 1957's Sayonara -- died in Licking, MO on Aug. 28 of cancer at age 78, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. She also courted controversy the following year when the Japanese-born actress was cast as a Chinese girl in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical Flower Drum Song, for which she was nominated for a Tony award for best actress. (She reprised her role in the 1961 film version of the musical and received a Golden Globe nomination.) On television she was best known for her portrayal of the maid Mrs. Livingston on ABC's The Courtship of Eddie's Father, which ran for four seasons beginning in 1969.
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the BOLD line i emphasized (courting controversy re: casting) is remarkable because of what i had JUST written in my pt 2 post.  (PRIOR to reading this news).    

considering the fact that FLOWER DRUM SONG  is one of the movies i had JUST highlighted in my pt 1 post (chop suey) ...as well as a tiny bio about umeki san included in that post (there is also a clip of her singing her signature song from that film, "a hundred million miracles").....well, i was pretty floored.  

anyway, just wanted to post this news, as a tribute to such a lovely japanese actress, certainly one of the best known in my early years.   her performances always had the sweetest charm, and although she had retired MANY years ago, she will always remain an indelible presence, and an enduring memory for ASIANS in HOLLYWOOD.   

sayonara, miyoshi san.  

someone posted this lovely tribute to miyoshi umeki...just pictures, but beautiful background music.